If you like to record checks before they clear your bank, you can record them directly from the Ledger. You can view your outstanding checks balance at any time to know which checks you’ve written but have not yet posted to your bank.
How to Record a Check in the Ledger
Navigate to Ledger
Click the + New button
Select Check
Choose the check direction
From You - A check that you wrote (expense)
To You - A check you received (income)
Fill in the check details
Payee / Payer: Enter the name of the person or business you’re paying or receiving payment from.
Your Account: For outgoing checks, select the account the check is written from.
Amount: Set the dollar amount.
Date: Enter the date the check is being written or received.
Check Number: Enter the number printed on the check.
Memo (optional): Add more context on the payment ("monthly rent" or "utility bill").
Internal Note (optional): Add notes or context to refer back to later.
Attachments (optional): Upload a picture of the check or related documents for reference.
Click Save
To enter multiple checks back-to-back, select the Create More checkbox before saving.
Once recorded, you’ll see the check appear on both your Ledger and the Balances tab as a recorded check.
How to Clear a Check in Ledger
Clearing a payment is the process of linking your recorded check payment to the posted withdrawal or deposit in your bank account. Doing this will reduce the balance of your Undeposited Checks or Outstanding Checks account and replace the check with the posted transaction.
Once the check clears the bank account, you can clear the recorded check by following these steps:
Navigate to Ledger
Select the three dots next to the recorded check
Click Clear check
Match the check to the corresponding transaction from the bank
View All Your Checks in Ledger
You have a few different ways to view and manage your checks in Ambrook. Using the Filter menu at the top of your screen, you can customize your view based on the check status or type.
To see which checks still need to be cleared:
Click Filter → Status → Uncleared
This will automatically show all checks that are:
Expected payments
Outstanding
Undeposited
You can deselect any of the above to focus on just one type of check, if preferable.
Click the three dots next to the check
Select Clear check
Tip: Set aside time each month to clear your checks once the matching transactions have been posted to your Ledger.
To see a full list of all checks you've recorded (whether cleared or not):
Click Filter → Type → Recorded Check
Cleared checks will appear in solid text
Uncleared checks will appear in grey
This gives you a quick way to scan which checks still need to be cleared and see an overview of all checks in your books.
Note: Our new Account Register feature is coming soon! This will be a checkbook-style view that includes a running balance for your account. This will give you clearer visibility into your cash flow and make it easier to track outstanding checks in one place.
How to Record Checks on Bills and Invoices
You can also record a check directly on a bill or invoice to keep everything clearly linked. This immediately ties the payment to what it’s for, making it easier to track what’s been paid. If you record a check from Ledger instead, it won’t be connected to a bill or invoice by default but you can still match it manually after it’s created. Either approach works—just use the one that fits best with your workflow.
To record a check on a bill or invoice:
Navigate to Bills or Invoices
Click on a bill or invoice to open its details
Click the + button next to Match Payment
Select Check from the options
Enter in the check details
How to Clear a Check on a Bill or Invoice
Clearing a check on a bill or invoices replaces it with the transaction posted to your Ledger and associates that transaction with the bill or invoice. The transaction will also inherit the tags from the bill or invoice.
To clear a check on a bill or invoice:
Navigate to Bills or Invoices
Click on a bill or invoice to open its details
Select Clear check under Payments
Match the check to the corresponding transaction from the bank
Click Done to complete the clearing process
FAQ
Q: What’s the difference between recording a check and creating a bill?
A: Recording a check logs a payment you’ve already made. Creating a bill tracks what you owe—whether or not you’ve paid it yet. Bills are better for planning and reporting. Checks are better for quick record-keeping. Check out When should I create a bill? to learn more.
Q: What if the deposit is part of a check bundle and the amount is larger than the recorded check?
A: No problem—you can still clear your recorded check by matching it to the larger check bundle transaction. In Ledger, the matched check and the remaining unmatched amount will both appear as line items beneath the posted deposit.
Q: Am I able to see my available balance, factoring in outstanding checks?
A: You’ll be able to soon with our upcoming Account Register view! For now, to estimate your available balance, subtract the total of your Outstanding Checks from the book balance of your bank account. You can find both these balances on the Balances page.